Basium Angeli
by V. Laike
Summary: The Winchester brothers were dangerous, mysterious, frightening. Kind of like real angels. "Jus in Bello" missing scene.


No real preamble for this one. It's a missing scene from "Jus in Bello," because Musey insisted.

Many thanks to Izhilzha, who outdid herself with an uber-fast beta of this ditty.

Standard disclaimer applies: Not my characters, no money made, etcetera, etcetera, and so on. Kripke's characters. I'm just borrowing. Also, where I come from, this could be considered gen, though more recent fandom etiquette might view it differently.

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BASIUM ANGELI

by

V. Laike

"Thank you." Nancy Fitzgerald looked up gratefully at the men in front of her. The Winchester brothers were dangerous men—dangerous, mysterious, frightening. Kind of like real angels, she decided, because angels weren't the cute, chubby little babies everyone thought they were. Angels were powerful warriors with gleaming armor and flaming swords who fought evil face-to-face and hand-to-hand. "You saved our lives."

"Here." Sam offered her something. Of the two of these men, he frightened her more, his gaze intense and shadowed with a dark sense of regret. But he knew the Latin exorcism like he knew his own name, and recognized when to use it, and for that she felt an enormous respect and admiration. Now he looked at her with eyes full of earnestness, sadness, and concern. She looked at her rosary as he held it out to her. She reached for it, but hesitated. A smile quirked the side of Sam's lips, and she thought that if they'd met anywhere else, they'd probably have been friends. "It's okay. I washed it." Nancy took it carefully from his hand. "I'm sorry I scared you back there. You did good. Thank you."

Nancy smiled at him. "I'm just glad you're on our side." She leaned in timidly and stood on her toes. A slightly puzzled frown creased his forehead as he bent forward to meet her, and she brushed a quick kiss against his cheek. He smiled at her again, then looked to his brother. Dean gave a brief nod, which Sam returned. They seemed to agree on something unspoken, and Sam left, Nancy supposed, to start packing their equipment into their car.

She turned her attention to Dean. Suddenly she was very nervous, and not in a way that had anything to do with being alone with a man she so recently believed to be a ruthless killer.

"Thanks again for patching me up," Dean said as he offered her a quick smile.

Nancy nodded. "You should get it looked at as soon as you can." She averted her eyes shyly for a moment, fingering her rosary beads absently. "And thank you for saving my life." Taking a step closer to him, she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as well.

Dean shifted from one foot to another and huffed a nervous chuckle. "Well, hey, it was a life worth saving."

Nancy smiled self-consciously. She found herself speaking before she even knew what she was saying. "I've never been kissed before."

Dean blinked in surprise at the comment. "Never?"

Nancy pressed her lips together in a small smile and shook her head.

Dean seemed at a loss. "Do you want to be?"

Nancy felt lightheaded. She'd made a choice how she wanted to live her life, a choice she was secure in, and it was no one's business but hers. But kissing didn't have to mean sex, and standing here with the man who had saved her life, who'd saved her from becoming a human sacrifice—who'd fought _demons_ to save them all—who'd led them to victory over the literal forces of evil . . . Her heart pounding, she nodded quickly.

She tried not to shake as he stepped toward her. He gently took her face in his hands and tilted it up toward his own. His fingers were warm on her cheeks and jaw, and he looked deeply into her eyes, as if he could read her thoughts and see her soul. She returned his gaze, amazed at the multihued green that searched her so intently. _God, You gave him such beautiful eyes._ His eyes were full of compassion, reverence, respect. A thumb caressed her cheek.

He tipped her face ever so slightly as he bent in and closed his eyes. She allowed her own eyes to fall closed as she felt his lips brush gently against her own. His touch was tender; the barest sensation of her breath being drawn from her own lips made them tingle. She returned the kiss, gently drawing his breath into her, trying not to lose herself in the tingling that spread from her lips through the rest of her.

Before the sensation could threaten to overwhelm her, Dean pulled away. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her again, a soft smile quirking the corner of his mouth. His hands slid from her cheeks to her shoulders, and she thought he must feel her shaking. His eyes traveled to the silver cross pendant resting on her chest, and she fingered it out of habit as she licked her lips.

Dean caught her eye again, giving her the comfortable smile she'd come to understand as reassurance that everything was going to be alright. "Thank you," he said again.

She nodded once, then released a quivering breath as she watched him stride away to join his brother.

_finis_


End file.
